Never again
by Ernil i Pheriannath
Summary: This is a story I origanally posted over on livejournal but thought I would add it over here. Its a little account of Buffy visiting Giles after the events of Revelations S3 . A little BG action, my first BG fic. Reviews greatly welcomed.


"Rupert Giles?" The slayer stepped up to the reception desk of the emergency department. She was breathless and tired and had been running for some time now. A red faced, flustered looking lady glanced at her and Buffy wondered how many things the poor woman had dealt with that evening.

"Are you family?" the woman sighed, looking at her computer screen with boredom.

"Yes" Buffy answered without hesitation and the woman waved her arm aimlessly down the corridor not taking her eyes from the screen.

"Room 14" she exclaimed and the slayer disappeared off down the corridors of the emergency room, a place that had become all too familiar since moving to on top of the hellmouth. Doctors and nurses often recognised the slayer and her friends and considered them as regular clients. Buffy turned the corner arriving at the door which read 'Room 14.' She reached for the handle but froze for a moment wondering weather her watcher really would want to be seeing her right now. But brushing the thought of their recent argument aside she took a deep breath, turned the handle and stepped inside.

For a moment the slayer was still after closing the door behind her. The room was silent, save the steady beep from the ECG by her watchers bed. She stared at him for a moment, his pale face almost as pale as the heavy bandage around his head and array of sheets covering him.

"I'm Sorry" she mimed but no sound passed her lips, the slayer slumped into the chair beside the bed. Buffy looked at her watchers closed eyes, wondering weather she wanted to meet them again. _'You have no respect for me, or the job I perform!' _His harsh words and unforgiving glare stung bitterly but were not far from the truth. '_But sadly I must remind you, that Angel tortured me for hours, for pleasure.'_ The night of Acathla was never brought up in conversation and Buffy had almost forgotten what her friends and more importantly her watcher had given up that night. It was then she could hold it no longer, tears formed in her eyes and she began to cry, grasping her watchers hand she buried her face into the covers.

Giles furrowed his brows. Through the haze of his mind he noted the soft whimpers from beside him. He forced his bleary eyes to open slightly objecting to the intense white lights of the hospital.

"Buffy?" he croaked sensing her presence beside him rather than seeing her. She didn't seem to hear him. The watcher turned to look sideways and his neck and head protested. He scrunched his eyes closed in pain. "Buffy." He said again. This time she heard, looking up to see her watcher turned to face her, eyes still tightly closed.

"Giles?" she sniffed and rubbed her eyes clear of saltwater, "You're awake?"

"It would seem so yes." Giles cried, still keeping his eyes closed to the harsh white light. There was silence then for a minute or so and neither watcher nor slayer knew what to say.

"I'm sorry" Buffy finally blurted out, "This is all my fault." He voice wavered with emotion. Giles managed to crack his eyes open then to stare at her, his expression deep with something Buffy could not interpret.

"Silly girl" he smiled, closing his eyes once again "Why is any of this your fault?"

Buffy remained silent for several minutes, closely examining the lines of pain etched across his face. "I'm so sorry" was all she managed to blurt out again.

"Buffy" Giles eyes snapped opened, protesting to the harsh light. His green eyes turned to hers fixing a gaze on his slayer. His brows furrowed in annoyance. "If you say you're sorry one more time I might have to…" he stuttered and mumbled.

"Might have to what?" Buffy held a cheeky grin on her face, "I'm afraid you seem to be in the position of not doing a lot Mr Giles."

The watcher chuckled for a moment at her teasing and then laughed outright. He stopped as quickly as he had started as pain shot through his neck and forehead. Buffy saw his complexion pale considerably and began to panic.

"Maybe you shouldn't laugh" she cried in alarm.

Giles smiled at her concern but shook it off, "One day Buffy you'll be the death of me," he joked back, but the slayers worried face did not subside. "I was joking." The watcher squeezed her hand that was still grasped around his.

"Well don't." her voice angered and Giles was taken aback by her sudden change in tone, she stood up abruptly pulling her hand from his grasp. "I need a drink." She said, "Do you want me to get you some tea?"

"That would be appreciated" he nodded gently, "I'm sick of only drinking water"

"You know I'm sure there's a good reason for that" she was half way to the door already, "I won't be long." She disappeared through the door and down the corridor and in search of a vending machine. Giles saw his chance then, and took it. Pushing himself up painfully on his elbows he reached over to the small cabinet beside his bed where his clothes had been left. He never understood why every time he came to hospital he had to wear a ridiculous gown. Swinging his legs off the side of the bed his bare feet met the cold lino flooring that sent a shiver running up his spine. The clothes were thankfully within reach and the doctors had been good enough not to strip him bare this time, his trousers still remained on. He pulled the gown slowly off finding his arms unusually week.

"Bloody Post woman" he ground out, grabbing his shirt from the pile and pulling an arm into it. The collar was blooded, but it would have to do until he got home. Beginning to pull the second sleeve and his head became rapidly light. The watcher braced his arms to the bed closed his eyes and took a long slow breath, hoping the nausea would subside.

"What are you doing?" the slayers voice hitched up several octaves as she entered the room. Placing the two cups of steaming drink on the side she rushed to him.

"What's bloody look like" Giles grimaced and looked to his slayer, suddenly realising his was half naked before her. Buffy saw the line of red travel up his face and ears. The slayer took in his torso then, his muscled arms and shoulders, the dusting of hair across his chest, her eyes tracked further south. She blushed also then, her body flushed suddenly with heat.

"You wear too much tweed." Buffy sat beside him not taking her eyes of his flesh.

"What?"

"Nothing" The slayer pulled the remaining shirt sleeve up and helped him into it. "It's just with a body that buff you could pull some serious chicks."

Giles sat still for a moment unsure how to answer her odd comment. "I thought I was old and eww"

"Maybe then I did" Buffy silenced herself and began to fasten his shirt buttons, fumbling as her palms became sweating. Giles watched her intently trying desperately to read her.

"Buffy, what are you implying here?"

The slayer stopped and looked up to him but said nothing. His face was so close now. She could practically feel his breath on her skin. A flush of heat rose through her again, this couldn't be happening. A Slayer in love with her Watcher. The moment she had returned to the library to find him on a gurney, she had gone to pieces. Seeing him rushed out and away to hospital had knocked her senses, she didn't know where she would be without Giles.

"I've kept so much from you recently" Buffy's voice seemed barely audible but he heard.

"Yes well, all is forgiven" Giles found his throat dry and voice croaky.

"Not just Angel" she whispered looking away and feeling her heart pounding in her chest, little did she know his was doing the same. Taking a deep breath then she said it. "Giles. I love you." Buffy held her breath looking straight into his eyes.

"And I you" his brows furrowed in confusion.

"No I mean…" Buffy found her throat constrict and unable to speak. Taking a quick breath she made the move, closing the distance between them she pressed her lips onto his. Giles tensed for a second then relaxed under her touch, gentle and forgiving. For several moments they stilled then broke off.

"Oh" Giles' voice had deepened significantly.

"If you don't…" Buffy began

"No, no, I didn't say that, but Angel" he read her like a book, he always did.

"Angel's history" she tugged at his shirt like a child, "I want you."

"It isn't right" he rasped out. Finding his voice unable to co-operate completely under the circumstances.

"Stop being so stuffy."

"I am not so" he began in his reasoning voice, "Buffy, your the slayer"

"And you're my watcher!" Buffy draped her arms over his shoulders and pressed her forehead to his, "All mine."

This time he made the move, grasping her lightly around the waste he pulled her into him and their lips met once again. Their kiss less soft now, more hurried and urgent, their tongues exploring one another. Buffy slipped her hands under his opened shirt and rubbed his chest and Giles moaned into her mouth. He broke off quickly, breathless.

"Dear Lord" Giles groaned, "Am I hallucinating?"

Buffy smiled, softly laying a hand across his cheek and looking directly at him. "No hallucinating here, you look pretty sane to me."

The slayer found herself on his lap now, straddling him and their bodies pressed up close. She could feel his reaction to her and Giles seemed to have noticed too. Another shade of red appeared on his face. Smiling teasingly Buffy ground her hips into his and Giles gasped in response.

"Dear God" he cried.

"What's the matter watcher-mine can't handle me?" Buffy teased pressing herself up to him several times.

"No it's just." The watcher paused, the nausea rising in his throat, "I think I may need to lie down" he had considerably paled once again.

"You think you gunna barf?" Giles nodded and Buffy jumped off to find a clean receptacle. Too late. Before she had moved from the spot her watcher retched violently. Abandoning the plan of making the situation less messy she sat on the bed behind him and gently rubbed his back.

"I didn't know I had that kind of reaction on men" she teased but changed her tone quickly, "You ok?"

"Concussion" Giles groaned rubbing his aching head. "Don't worry Buffy, It's nothing I haven't dealt with before." The slayer stilled at his exclamation, the watcher sensed her change and turned to look at her. "What?"

"How many times have you been to hospital since being in Sunnydale?"

"That doesn't matter now, we can discuss this later" Giles patted her thigh and stood slowly up, "Lets get out of here first." He lent heavily on the bedside cupboard.

"Why won't you answer?" Buffy jumped from the bed and stood in front of him.

"Buffy please. Not now." Giles pushed past her and around the bed to gather his belongings, feeling more than a little dizzy on his feet. The watchers head was beginning to thump painfully. The slayer followed him as he began to pick up his shoes.

"Giles?" her frustrated plea felt like someone was drilling into his skull, the pain was worsening, not subsiding.

"I understand you wish to know, but please, not now" Giles tried to move a few steps to the bed but his head told him otherwise. The slayer saw it coming but didn't reach him in time as he went down, colliding with the floor. Hard.

Buffy was beside him in seconds and pulled his head into her lap. "Sometimes I wish you weren't so stubborn mister." The slayer gently stroked a hand through his hair finding it still tangled with dried blood. She shook her head in dismay. "Back to bed for you I think." Suddenly realising what she said she blushed. Placing a hand around his back and the other behind the knees Buffy picked Giles up and placed him back on the bed, without slayer strength it would have taken at least two people. Buffy hoped no one was watching. The slayer pulled the covers over him and smiled at 

his face. He always looked so cute when he was sleeping. Little had the watcher known she had sneaked a peek now and again when he'd fallen asleep with his head in a book.

"Stubborn?" Giles murmured, not opening his eyes. "I rather think not"

"I rather think so" Buffy tried to imitate his British accent and he smiled at her attempt. "You're staying here tonight."

Groaning in protest Giles cracked his eyes open and focused his blurry vision on his slayer. "I hate hospitals."

"I know" Buffy grabbed his hand and locked hers to his, "But I need my watcher fit and healthy" she kissed his forehead. "Besides I can bail you out tomorrow if I promise to look after you."

Giles squeezed her hand and smiled. "I love you" he beamed.

"Yeah yeah" Buffy laughed, "go to sleep, I'm going to fetch a doctor. I'll be here when you wake up."

With her assurance the watcher closed his eyes and began to drift to sleep. "And when you wake up you'd better brush your teeth, I'm not kissing you with vomit breath" she was half way to the door.

"Whatever you say love" Giles said sleepily, "Just as long as your here."

"Don't worry, I won't leave you again" Buffy whispered, "never again." She turned and left the room in search of a doctor.


End file.
